1.Everyone shall possess the right to freely express and publicise his thoughts in words, images or by any other means, as well as the right to inform others, inform himself and be informed without hindrance or discrimination
2.Exercise of the said rights shall not be hindered or limited by any type or form of censorship
Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, Article 37.º

Gonçalo Amaral on Wikileaks release regarding the McCann Affair

The former Portuguese Judiciary Police inspector Gonçalo Amaral, coordinator of the Maddie Case, speaks on the latest Wikileaks release - the cable exchange between the now demissionary UK ambassador Alexander Ellis and the US ambassador Alfred Hoffman, Jr. who also served in Portugal at the time of Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

Pedro Mourinho (P.M.) - Gonçalo Amaral, former inspector of the Judiciary Police, and author of the book "The Truth of the Lie" on the Maddie Case is with us, live, on the Midnight News. A very good evening to you Dr. Gonçalo Amaral.

Gonçalo Amaral (G.A.) - Good evening.

P.M. - Is there any novelty for you in the documents now released by Wikileaks?

G.A. - No, in reality the only news is the document disclosure itself, since as for the evidence, the indicia, they are on the process. The cooperation and collaboration with the English police is public knowledge, and is on the process. The results are there, therefore there isn't anything new.

P.M. - So, for you it isn't news that it was the British police that found the evidence that have, would have incriminated Madeleine's parents?

G.A. - No, I didn't say that. It's not news as regarding to the evidence, now as to the proofs held by the British police I don't know what are they referencing to. There was a cooperation and collaboration, the evidence and indicia are in the process thus...I don't know, someone should say what the evidence are, perhaps someone from the British police should say it. All the same, it was a cooperation between the British and Portuguese police that has arrived to the proofs that are in the process.

P.M. - As someone that knows the process, as an inspector involved in the investigation, coordinator of the investigation, don't you know what evidence, specifically, the British ambassador was referring to?

G.A. - He could only be referring to the evidence and indicia that are on the process. I'm not seeing any other, if there is other evidence, it would be strange for the British police to not have revealed them at the time.

P.M. - The reference made in the last hours, Dr. Gonçalo Amaral, was in particular the evidence that had been obtained by the dogs brought from the UK, that were able to find cadaver scent in the McCann's car, could that be the evidence?

G.A. - There are several indications. The information that are on the process results in other evidence, and, therefore there is a set of evidences that are on the process, and that is probably what is being referred to. It is unfortunate that the process is archived, but, perhaps this note might enable to reopen the inquest and the resumption of the investigation until the truth is established, the material truth, the complete truth, for Justice to be made.

P.M. - How was the relationship between the British and Portuguese police forces? Was it a good relationship, or, as the British media sustained for a certain period of time, during the summer of 2007, was it a tense one and of great rivalry?

G.A. - No, it was an excellent relation, of cooperation, we often had lunch and dinner together, we had various meetings, so there was already friendship between colleagues. It was people who were involved in an investigation, there wasn't any tension as it was stated.

P.M. - Would it have been possible to go further, in gathering evidence, after what took place in September 20071, or not?

G.A. - As I said before, the investigation is an investigation that is interrupted, an investigation that needs to be concluded. I believe that it is possible to make progress, if it wasn't for lack of political will; now with political will, based on this note - which is only a note as you said, but remains an important note nevertheless between two ambassadors, from one ambassador to the US State Department, that must have the weight that it has. Hopefully now, it will also be disclosed those photos, those satellite images that we believe to be in the possession of the US authorities, that we, the Portuguese police mentioned first, and also requested, a request that was denied to us.

P.M. - In your understanding, what could those satellite images reveal?

G.A. - They can reveal who was the person that carried the child on that night on its way to the beach. According to an Irish couple statement, with an alleged 80% certainty, it was Gerald McCann himself. That could be the confirmation of that Irish couple's statement.

P.M. - And those images exist?

G.A. - We believe that, yes. In fact, the McCann couple themselves, said, a few months ago, that they also searched for them; that they don't exist, someone else later stated that they don't exist. It's possible that the site who has divulged the cable might also be able to release those images. That would be interesting.

P.M. - In your opinion, if they exist, why weren't they yet revealed?

G.A. - Well, probably because they are a secret of state somewhere... In fact, the whole investigation was a state secret in England. I remind you that there is documentation in that sense, referring that it is a state secret. We do not understand why it is considered as a state secret. In question is the disappearance, and the likely death of a child, and we still fail to understand why is that considered as state secrecy.

P.M. - You have spoken before on the «political will», do you consider that there was a connivance of the British government with the McCann couple, knowing that the London authorities, and at least we now have that certainty, were indeed aware of the evidence uncovered by the police of their own country. What I want to ask you, in your opinion, in the scope of this document, is, if we can understand a little bit better the manner in which the McCanns left the country?

G.A. - I apologize for stating the obvious, but they have left the country by airplane. And they were well received back in England. What we became increasingly aware was the political influence, of the intervention of the British prime minister at the time, Gordon Brown, of the conversations that he allegedly had we our own prime minister, in October, at the Lisbon Summit - if they indeed spoke on the subject or not, we weren't there to listen, some say they did others say they didn't; but a fact remains, and this was the result: there was a point that the British police officers working on the case had to sign a document as if they belonged to the secret services, requesting their confidentiality so they wouldn't speak about the case. Definitely something strange, not usual under other circumstances. Thus, from then on, and with other elements, that would be too lengthy for us to be here now detailing - remains no doubt that a political intervention, practically, archived the case.

P.M. - Of the British and of the Portuguese government?

G.A. - The case went to the Portuguese General Attorney's Office, who published a statement saying that they had not find any indicia in the process...something that we find very strange. I recall that on the decision made by the Appellate Court, on October 19, of this year, which lifted the banning of the book that I've authored, 'Maddie, The Truth of The Lie', suggests that with the indicia that exists in the process, the opinion of the Public Ministry to archive the case could be another if the prosecutors were different - that means that something exists there [on the process]. I have no doubts that the magistrates, the appellate judges have read the process.

P.M. - Do you believe that this document, this note now revealed by WikiLeaks, can indeed change something as to the process? You have already said during this interview that you hoped for that to happen, but do you truly believe that that it will take place?

G.A. - This matter has evolved, step by step, we cannot use this document as a flag, the knowledge of this note as a victory - let's put it in this way, it does not mean an immediate reopening of the case. However, I do believe that we are walking towards that goal, that finally the reconstitution of the facts may take place with the couple and with their friends, if they so wish, and if they are willing to return to Portugal.

P.M. - You spoke of «victory», do you believe that this will change the perception that people have about the Maddie case?

G.A. - The perception that I have, as far as the perception of people go, is that the Judiciary Police has worked, the Judiciary Police was able to reach some conclusions, important conclusions. That the process needs to go on, the investigation has to continue, and, as we have previously spoken here today, the process was archived for political reasons - that is the perception that people have.

P.M. - Gonçalo Amaral, former inspector of the Judiciary Police, author of the book 'Maddie, The Truth of The Lie' about the Madeleine McCann case, live, on this Midnight news edition, after tonight, when another confidential document was released by WikiLeaks. It's the only document that makes a reference to the Maddie case - an exchange between the British and North-American ambassadors in Lisbon, where the British ambassador has confirmed that the British government had the knowledge of the evidence that would incriminate Madeleine McCann's parents. Meanwhile, the McCann's spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, fully depreciated this revelation; contacted tonight by the News agency Lusa, he said that the cable "is something from the past, an historical document, more than three years old" and that, he added, "therefore has no actuality".

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27 comments:

well well well ...could this be as i have read it that information regarding the DNA ...has been held back by the British police.....[dont want to comment further in case i have the wrong end of the stick]

Letter fropm IberiaI have just wriiten commented in the Mail on line as followslets see if the have any honour and publish it

At last you publish some truths about the cover up of Your publication along with most of the British press was very quick to portray the Portuguese police as bungling fools, when all along the very professional British police were of the same opinion that Mr & Mrs McCann were some how implicated in the disappearance and possible death of their daughter Madilien.

Perhaps now the UK press may do what it used to be good at.That is to investigate and report the events truthfully with the view of bringing justice for an innocent little girl, who has been forgoten about, other than to be utilised as a fund raiser for a multi million pound fund run by the McCann’s, which appears to have the prime objective of being a PR and litigation machine that attacks any one that challenges the McCann’s version of events.However you are unlikely to print this but I live in hope.

It just gets to my nerves hearing the reporters repeat over and over again that the case was archived and the McCanns were "acquited/exonerated" (in TVI, for one)!!! Yes, we all know the case was archived, but, and it is a BIG BUT, the McCanns were NOT exonerated, they just had their "arguido" status lifted due to insuficient evidence to charge them and take them to court!

#1, regarding the FSS and the forensic reports, I watched a very competent and well respected portuguese journalist (NO, it's not Duarte Levy!) say loud and clear, on a portuguese tv channel that there were TWO FSS reports on the DNA found in the car, and that the first one clearly said it was Madeleine's DNA profile, that he had seen it with his own eyes, that he had held it in his hands, and...that "someone" had a copy of that report in a very safe place, that it was "someone's life insurance". It's well known what happened to the said first report...and what the second one was all about...

yes i have heard that too [same as when it was first leaked k mcc was about to be charged sky news that quickly disappeared]....

although i have no proof of this i was told that there was a cover up at the Birmingham FFS...[by an anonymous employee] long before it was revealed the DNA was not conclusive

goncalo also regrets the DNA ever going to Birmingham..

oh if only that report could surface......wonder how this will now reflect on the book that seemingly is going to be about the bungling portuguese police ...the mccs will not have seen this comming......

If that report does suface not only will it reflect on the 'bungling cops book' (which I dont believe for a second that, that is what he is) how's it going to affect the book by the golden pair. Maybe they chose next years release date specially so that when it flops they can blame the royal wedding for stealing thier limelight.

British police helped build case against McCanns «Although Portuguese police were always blamed by Kate and Gerry McCann for suggesting they were somehow involved in a cover-up over the disappearance of their daughter, Madeleine McCann, it now transpires that British police helped their opposite numbers on the Algarve build the case against the couple.

In the months following Madeleine's disappearance in May 2007, the Portuguese police were branded "imbeciles" by furious relatives of the McCanns, who later threatened to take legal action against the force after they were cleared.

The revelation that police in Britain "developed the evidence" that led to the McCanns being treated as formal suspect – or arguidos - comes with the latest leak of US embassy cables by WikiLeaks.

A cable detailing a meeting between the British ambassador to Lisbon, Alexander Wykeham Ellis, and US ambassador Al Hoffman, two weeks after the couple were declared arguidos in September 2007, is published today by the Guardian. (...)»

I find it amazing that the police were made to sign a document saying they would not talk of the case ,this is unreal !!! Jesus I HOPE wiki have the sattelite images and THIS is the next leak we are expecting ,thank you Jo for this

Regarding the satelite images, this keep surfacing. Here is a link to TheSunday Express http://www.zimbio.com/Madeleine+McCann/articles/w_-_Gt4Xnok/SATELLITE+CLUE+MADDIE+KIDNAPIt has been there for a while this idea that satelite picture might bring an end to all this. I think Dr Amaral is 100 % correct. Come on images surface we want jsutice for an innocent child.

Is anyone yet prepared to believe the theory that one or more of the Tapas 9 were well known to MI5, perhaps as informers? It is known that the McCann pub in St. Johnston is right in the heart of matters related to the murder of Denis Donaldson, former SF leader/British agent. Anyone informing on the IRA is considered a valuable resource to the Brits and the last thing they would want would be for the informer to disclose what they know about their handlers.

Hi Joana...perhaps you should not have shown this video here because this blog is being monitored by The Fund and if there is anything they really hate is to see Dr. Amaral's face on TV scoring demographic points. We don't have to wait a week for a McCanns' PR counter-attack to follow. Stand by...

PSsst

Here between us, any shrink would tell you Kate had a crunch on the man. Strange how lust works...

Federal prosecutors, seeking to build a case against theWikiLeaks leader Julian Assange for his role in a hugedissemination of classified government documents, are lookingfor evidence of any collusion in his early contacts with anArmy intelligence analyst suspected of leaking theinformation.

Justice Department officials are trying to find out whetherMr. Assange encouraged or even helped the analyst, Pfc.Bradley Manning, to extract classified military and StateDepartment files from a government computer system. If he didso, they believe they could charge him as a conspirator inthe leak, not just as a passive recipient of the documentswho then published them.

Personally I dont think the America will withhold such a satellite image, what is in it for them?

I rather think the developing of evidence refers to the UK police suspicions of the mccanns and helping the PJ and in some instances initiated certain process against spthe mccanns to see what comes out of the suspicions, and of course the dogs confirmed it. I would like to know the true story behind the FSS reports.

"I thought the satellite was diverted to North Africa"Both : North africa and Portugal

"Personally I dont think the America will withhold such a satellite image, what is in it for them?"This is when "diplomacy" comes in and work: from one favour to the other:Socrtaes opwned his arms wide open to the US between 2006-2009 and before supported the Irak massacre.Therefore the US could have withdraw the satellite views at the specific date to "please" their allies UK and Portugal

G.A. - They (satellites) can reveal who was the person that carried the child on that night on its way to the beach. According to an Irish couple statement, with an alleged 80% certainty, it was Gerald McCann himself. That could be the confirmation of that Irish couple's statement.-

P.M. - And those images exist?

G.A. - We believe that, yes. In fact, the McCann couple themselves, said, a few months ago, that they also searched for them; that they don't exist, someone else later stated that they don't exist. It's possible that the site who has divulged the cable might also be able to release those images. That would be interesting.-

The mccanns are rattled with the satellite pics: although they search for them,they dont exit.Weird! why would they look for something that does not exist? Remind me of their "search for Madeleine"

Their search has essentially be: looking at any evidence that could have possibly be left behind while spinning and spinning other "news".